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New & Fairly Noteworthy

Washington, D.C.-area craft brewer Port City Brewing Co. is releasing Derecho Common, a limited edition “steam beer.” The new offering was created after a recent derecho storm cut power to Port City’s brewery, causing 13,000 gallons of beer to ferment at a higher-than-normal temperature. In order to salvage the affected beer, Port City replicated a brewing style developed in San Francisco — known as a “steam beer” or California Common beer — in which beer made with lager yeast is fermented at higher temperatures like an ale. Derecho Common will be available on draft by early August, limited to about 120 kegs in the D.C. metro area.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn craft distiller Greenhook Ginsmiths is launching a new offering, Beach Plum Gin Liqueur. The base of the new product is local New York beach plums, a rare type of wild plum that is a close relative of the Damson and the sloe. The beach plums are steeped whole in Greenhook’s flagship American Dry Gin to create the new liqueur, which will sell for around $49.99 a bottle and be available online and in the New York off-premise.

Colorado’s Twisted Pine Brewing released Hoppy Girl, an 8%-abv IPA, on July 7 as the most recent edition of its Artisan Ale Project. The brew will be available in black 750-ml. bottles and on tap at Twisted Pine’s alehouse and other locations across Colorado. Twisted Pine’s Artisan Ale Project is a yearlong celebration of Colorado talent, and the company will release a new beer every month featuring an artist’s work. Local artist Kate Medlin designed the bottle art for Hoppy Girl.

West Virginia craft distiller Smooth Ambler Spirits is introducing two new whiskies this month under its Old Scout brand. The first, Very Old Scout ($60-$70 a bottle), is a marriage of whiskies all at least a decade old, with a grain bill composed of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. The second, Old Scout Rye, is a seven-year-old whiskey made up of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. It will sell for around $36 a bottle.